Just Listen
by Throttled
Summary: A pregnant woman held her promise and waited... but he had long ago broken her heart. On his wedding day, a baby girl was born. But the birth had costed her dearly... All she wished was to see him again, the warrior she loved... Even if it's just a dream.
1. Chapter 1

**Just Listen**

**Bottled**

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"ARGHHHH!" An agonizing scream tore through the night, shattering the silence. Startled and disturbed, a flock of pigeons flapped around wildly in the forest nearby.

Inside the stable, a slim woman laid tiresomely on a stack of dried hay. Her long locks of auburn hair splayed around her, drenched in sweat. Her face shone with perspiration, peals of previous pain trickled down her cheeks. The pair of unseen orbs were hidden; tear trails left their marks.

Suddenly, the small and pert nose scrunched up and her eyes tightened. She grasped her best friend's awaiting hand as she opened her mouth and screamed again. Tomoyo could only sit and offer her hand as her best friend undergoes this torture.

"C'mon Sakura! You can do it!!! It's almost there, I can see the head!!! The shoulder's coming through now! Jus-just push!!!" She encouraged, as she had done before…

Some hours later, the same girl rushed into the grand Palace, not caring the fact that she wasn't permitted to enter without notice. Guards tried, to no avail, stop her. But she was thin and fast as she sauntered with speed and grace through their outstretched fingers. Tomoyo knew that by doing this, she was facing treason; but she didn't care, she couldn't care. It will be too late otherwise…

Inside the great Palace, the King and Queen sat regally on their respective thrones. And watched with love and adoration as their only daughter vowed to stay true, to stay loyal to the most skilled and powerful warrior of all the lands. They smiled as he placed the ring on her finger.

"Do you, Syaoran Li, agree to take Princess Elizabeth Maria Gorgen the second, as your lawfully wedded wife, to hold and to cherish throu…-" But the priest never finished.

"SYAORAN!!!" The doors banged open as a young girl, violet haired and amethyst eyed, dashed in. Her hair was in disarray and her mouth dry as she stopped to pant for breath.

Syaoran could only stand there, holding his wife-to-be's gloved hands, startled and speechless. What was she doing here?! The silence was broken by the King, who stood up and asked sternly, "what is this? Li, do you know this woman?"

Syaoran averted his gaze from the girl, he couldn't tell him the truth. "No sir, I –"

"DON'T lie, Syaoran Li! You know perfectly well who I am!!!" She paused to take in a great gulp of air, and looked angrily at him, "but this isn't about me, it's about Sakura!"

Who the hell was Sakura?! Went though everyone's minds. But Syaoran knew, of course he knew; she was, after all, the one who –

"What about her?" He asked, knowing that he shouldn't care; but was unable to stop himself.

"She's… she's…" The anger faded away as quickly as water going down the drain; replaced by sadness and helplessness. Tomoyo looked up into his eyes, her vision blurred by tears… "She's dying Syaoran."

He froze; everything froze. Sakura? …dying? No! She was so full of life, so cheerful! She c-can't be… be…

"H-how...?" He whispered, feeling cold and dead inside. Looking up, he found Tomoyo's eyes pleading with him, to come, to see… Was he willing to leave the splendour life for Sakura? The girl who he… doesn't love anymore…

"Syaoran Li! What in heaven's name is all this?" The King bellowed, now quite angry.

Syaoran looked into the confused and hurt eyes of his beautiful fiancé; thought about the wonderful and splendid life they could have had, will have had… and let go. Her hands dropped lifelessly down to her sides as Syaoran kissed her one more time gently on the cheek, and whispered, "I'm sorry Lizzie…"

With that he turned around and strode up to Tomoyo.

"Lead the way…"

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_**A/N this is going to be quite short. Perhaps another one or two chapters after this one. Hope you liked it!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Just Listen**

**Bottled**

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"Dream, away you go…

Let your imagination flow.

Away in a fantasy world,

You can forever dance and twirl.

No sadness, no worries,

Just flowers, trees and berries.

You can live your life as you wish,

With everything offered on a dish.

So dream my dear, my darling,

Dream 'til the bright tomorrow morning…"

She finished the last note and looked down, eyes brimming with tears; inside her arms was a baby. Her baby… She gently traced her little one's cheek, feeling the tender baby soft skin. She watched with motherly love and utter sadness as the tiny hand enclosed around her index finger. There was little movement on the infant's face, just the occasional chewing motion of the mouth. She was an angel as she slept soundly in her mother's arms.

Sakura gazed at her baby for what seemed like eternity, trying to memorize each and every detail of her face, her movements. She was so beautiful…

Desperately, she turned to look at the door… if only he'd been here, if only he could know that he was a father…

As if hearing her plea, the door opened and He walked in, dressed in the finest Royal satin, gazing at her with worry and surprise.

Sakura smiled, "You're here…" A lonely tear dropped, "you're really here…" The bundle in her arms moved slightly, and a gurgle could be heard.

"Syaoran, look," she held up the bundle so that the he could see the newborn. "You're a Daddy." He stared at the small pink face, speechless. She put the baby back down and watched as she sucked her own thumb. "Isn't she beautiful? Yes, it's a girl. Look, she's even got your fighting moves." She laughed softly, "it took quite a while persuading her to sleep."

He still hadn't moved, it was all too much of a shock. Didn't Tomoyo say Sakura was dying? Wh-where in God's name did she mention a baby?! He looked at Sakura; did she say that he was a father? He was a Daddy…?

Sakura looked up, he hasn't moved. "C'mon Syaoran, come here. Don't you want to see your baby girl?" She smiled coyly. Why was she acting as though nothing had happened?

Bewildered and confused, Syaoran crossed the room to her side, and sat by her on another stack of hay. He craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the little one. His fruitless attempts did not go amiss and Sakura joked heartedly, "I'm not going to bite you know, you can come closer." She shuffled around, giving him more space. How could he refuse? He didn't have the heart and so he obeyed. The extra body heat felt nice and warm.

"Oh!" Sakura gasped from his side, "look, she's awake!" He followed her gaze and watched as the long, dark eyelashes fluttered and slowly opened to reveal a pair of mesmerizing emeralds, drowning, hypnotizing… like her mother's. He was caught, unable to look away…

"She's beautiful…" he whispered, finally finding his voice. "Sh-she really is…" he reached and touched her cheeks. He knew it was impossible for newborn babies to smile, but he could swear that she did.

Something heavy landed on his right shoulder, he looked and found himself facing a mass of auburn hair. He knew it was wrong of him, and that he shouldn't have do it, but he did it all the same. Unhurriedly, he wrapped his arm around Sakura's slim shoulders and pulled her to him. Inhaling the familiar scent of jasmine, he smiled and held on tighter. Together, they watched silently their infant as she drifted back into dreamland once more…

"I knew, you know." Her small voice half-whispered, "I knew you'd come." She detached her head from his shoulder and raised her face to meet his. What he saw made his mind stop; and heart shatter.

Long lanes of tears escaped from a pair of lost jewels, charging their way down her already stained cheeks. The brilliant shine of her emeralds, enhanced by the tears, expressed the despair and sorrow she felt for so long. The moist blood-red lips trembled as she continued…

"I knew you still cared. I knew you still loved me, I knew you never stopped… never, even…" She shut her eyes and gulped back the tears, regaining control. She reopened her eyelids and he found himself gazing into the saddest pair of eyes he has ever seen. "Even when you're marrying her…" That seemed to be the trigger as heavy tears began to rain; pouring unstoppably.

He sat there, next to her. Watching silently as she broke down… He felt so sad, so sad that She was so sad. She, who was always happy, always cheerful. He didn't love her, but how could he tell her that… how could he break her heart when it was already so fragile? So brittle?? Like a delicate flower waiting to be plucked. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her while she sobbed all her sadness away.

Hours seemed to have passed.

"Heh… heheheh…" She was laughing. What the hell? Why was she laughing? Sakura lifted her head away from Syaoran and gazed at him, inspecting carefully. A hand left the sleeping baby and reached up to touch his face. A long slim finger traced the outline of his jaw, down to the strong chin and the masculine adam's apple. Syaoran repressed the urge to shiver.

"Hm…" She smiled softly, almost to herself. "You're so real…" She caressed his cheek, running her soft hand over his features. "You even feel real…" Her hand dropped, and her eyes saddened once more. "But you're not."

She looked past the open doors and towards the distance where the Palace was, where fireworks could be seen shooting into the night sky. "You're there…" She pointed, suddenly becoming lifeless and hollow, "you and your new wife. Starting your glamorous life together… you and her…" A sad smile appeared. Syaoran sat there, not knowing whether to defy her or not. She would be hurt either way.

Sakura gazed into his eyes again, the happy, twinkling and delirious look she had when she first saw him was gone. What was left was the bitter anger at the truth, tinted with bottomless sorrow.

"I'm dying Syaoran." Whisper…

Syaoran opened his mouth, ready to tell her everything, that he was real and… But she simply held up her hand, and pressed her finger gently to his lips.

"Shhh… don't say anything. Don't ruin the moment, even if it is just a dream. I'm just happy that you're here, that you've seen her, " She rocked the baby gently, "… and that we're all together…" A sudden wave of weariness washed over her features; she began to sway. He wrapped his arms around her again to steady her, in case she falls.

Sakura leaned into him, holding her baby… their baby; and shut her eyes. She was so tired, so so tired. She wanted to sleep, wanted to close her mind and forget about everything.

He gazed down at her, watching her, he knew her time was near. Her breaths came out in shallow, small pants, as if each breath took energy. Her eyes were shut. She looked so peaceful…

"Syaoran…" She had so little energy left; it was taking all that left of her to say these few last words. Her eyes opened once more, all the pain, the hurt, the betrayal and the love she had hidden for so long, seared into that one look. Desperately, she raised her hand towards him, wanting to feel him once last time.

"I-I…" She had to finish, "lo-lo-lov..."

But she never did. Her hand dropped, flying in an elegant arc back down. Her eyes shone for the last time before they closed forever… She was gone…

When the King's men came into the stable two hours later, searching for the runaway groom. All they found was a set of Royal satin garments… and a freshly bloomed cherry blossom…

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**_A/N there's going to be another paragraph just explaining the whole plot really. Hope you liked it. Thank you so much to Awai-umi, Babybluelunarstarangel, and Kanna-sagara. I love your reviews!!! By the way, I'm sorry but she does die… '(_**

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**_Personally, I think this chapter is a bit crap but I really cannot be bothered to rewrite it. Hope you'll find it ok at least. Thanks!_**


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